Fat Grafting

Fat injection is one of the most popular operations of the last decade. In fact, the most natural and permanent filling method for volume deficiencies in face and body is fat grafting. It is important to remember that the best filler is our own fat cells which can be removed from our bodies. In this practice, where our fat cells are removed from one region and “transplanted” elsewhere, the fat tissue is usually transferred from the waist, abdomen, or leg region to the face, breast, or buttock.

 

Where is Fat Grafting Applicable?

Fat injeciton can be performed on the face, breast, and buttock, in general. Fat injection may also be used in other areas for asymmetries or deformities.

Facial Aesthetics: In facial aesthetics, volume deficiencies are generally seen under the eyes, cheeks, nasolabial grooves, marionette lines, temple area, under eyebrows, forehead, upper eyelids, and lips. Fat injection to all these areas is possible.

Breast Augmentation: Fat grafting may be done for breast aesthetics. However, not every patient is a suitable candidate for breast augmentation with fat transfer. If you have small or medium volume breasts with relatively smooth anatomies, it is possible to enlarge breasts in 1 or 2 fat injection sessions without implant and without scars, as long as you have enough fat tissue.

Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL): The majority of patients who apply for brazilian butt lift have fat excess in waist area. A proper planning makes it possible to create a thin waist and shaped buttock for these patients by removing fat from waist and transferring to top and side parts of the buttock (brazilian butt lift, BBL) with proper planning in these patients. Thus, you can get rid of excess fat and have a raised and shaped butt with a beautiful waist to butt transition in a single surgery.

 

Does Fat Transfer Last?

The success rate of the surgery, in order words how permanent transferred fat tissue will be, depends entirely on surgical accuracy and postoperative care. This operation invloves removal of living fat cells from one region and transfer to another region. If the fat cells are is lost (dies) during the surgery, proportionate amount will be lost after surgery.

For a successful result in fat grafting, no smoking should be done before the operation and especially during the first 1-2 weeks after surgery. The area where the transfer is made should remain as immobile as possible and no pressure should be applied. During the operation, the fat should be carefully collected and delicately transferred. In spite of all this, in the general practice the maximum amount of fat which remains is 70-80% and 20-30% is discarded by the body within 6 months. The remaining is now permanent. Fat grafting is not a temporary surgery.

 

Stem Cells

The largest stem cell reserve in our body is fat tissue! Hence, an improvement in skin quality and color is observed in injected areas 4 to 8 weeks after fat injection surgery.

 

How is Fat Grafting Done?

For fat transfer, the fat tissue is usually harvested from the inner thigh, abdominal area, or waist by the liposuction technique. This carefully prepared tissue is transferred through the very fine cannula. For this reason, fat injection can be considered as a no-scar surgery.

 

Healing Process After Fat Grafting

The duration of the fat injection procedure is from half an hour to 2 hours, depending on the amount harvested. The amount of transferred fat tissue can be expected to produce a proportional edema. Edema developed usually reaches the maximum level within 2-3 days, disappearing within 1-2 weeks.

 

Fat Grafting Prices

Fat injection surgery prices usually vary depending on the amount of fat transferred, the area to be transferred, surgery duration, the difficulty level of the operation and choice of hospital. Physical examination is required for a correct price evaluation.